Blending of the Faiths

I understand that this may sound a little different to Jews and Christians alike, but for our family, the celebration of Hanukkah has been a sweet time as we prepare to celebrate Christmas.  Why would Christians not celebrate miracles that God performed in the outworking of his everlasting covenant with Abraham and his descendants?  After all, God promised that through Abraham all the nations would be blessed. Hanukkah commemorates the Maccabees’ victory over the Greeks and the rededication of the temple in 165BC. We remember the miracle of how God caused the eternal flame to burn for 8 days on one day’s worth of oil, hence the menorah with 8 candles plus the shamash candle which is used to light the others.

It feels proper to talk about these things and teach the children about their spiritual heritage as God’s chosen people.  Of course this would not be possible without the birth of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with man.  We believe that He is the Messiah, sent to reconcile God to man, Jew to gentile, man to man. In John 10:22 we are told that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah, also called the Feast of Dedication.

In a world of chaos and mistrust, we choose to focus on the Prince of Peace, the only one who will judge rightly and establish order on earth.  In His time.

They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.  To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. But it is not as though the word of God has failed.  For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. Romans 9:4-8

Happy Thanksgiving 2020

So this year I tagged along with some friends who have a tradition of doing Thanksgiving differently. Instead of eating themselves into a stupor, they choose to hike. The origin of this tradition is another story for another time, but this year they invited me to tag along, and it was unforgettable for many reasons. I think we will be laughing at the memories for many years to come.

Firstly, when we left Charleston at about 9am, it was sunny and warm so we set off appropriately dressed, except that as we neared our destination, Poinsetta State Park in Sumter, SC, the weather had changed somewhat, and it was pouring with rain and about 65 degrees. Determined to make the best of it, we drove around until we found a covered shelter (not abundantly available), and happily spread out our picnic lunch. It was not a minute later that cars started arriving at our shelter and we were informed that it had been reserved for a family Thanksgiving gathering – a year in advance. We begged for 20 minutes grace so we could bolt our food before packing up and leaving. Reluctantly they agreed and started setting up their dinner around us.

Undaunted we packed up and drove off in the rain in search of a hiking trail, only to find that the one we had picked was closed because of the hunting season. Heads up y’all, this place is in the middle of nowhere so cellphone service was not helpful when trying to weigh our route options, and the printed maps are a little vague. Long story short, we laughed a lot, got a little exercise, a little indigestion, and great memories. For 2020, what would you expect anyway!?

Studio Pet Portraits

This is Brick, a magnificent Standard Poodle, not sure of his lineage but a fine specimen and extremely well behaved. Posing is second nature to him, as he comes from a showbiz background. As I think I have mentioned before, treats, squeaky toys, good boy breaks, etc. are all part of the experience. Trying to come up with a novel idea for a Christmas gift? How about a pet portrait of your favorite furry friend?

A Smoky Mountain Sunset

If you’ve never watched the sun set behind the Tennessee Smoky Mountains from the top of Clingman’s Dome, just add it to your bucket list right now. Pictures don’t do it justice, you just have to be present to appreciate the beauty and the stillness that descends as the light fades into soft blues and purples. Another 360 degrees, another day.

TN, Tennessee, sunset, Clingmans Dome, Smoky Mountains, Smoky Mountain National Park, evening, dusk, view, hazy, mountains, pines, rays,

Young Harris, Hiawassee, GA in the fall

A group of us girlfriends headed out on a road trip to upstate Georgia in the Appalachian Mountains. We rented a cabin for the last three nights and spent time exploring the area. These photos include views from Bell Mountain overlooking the Chatuge Lake and town of Hiawassee, a barn along a rural road, as well as images from a visit to Anna Ruby Falls in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Tomorrow we move on to Townsend, Tennessee. Most of the colorful leaves were blown away courtesy of Hurricane Zeta as it blasted up the Tennessee Valley a few days ago. Hoping to find some color lingering in the next few days.

Gracie & Lacy at the Forte Jazz Lounge

Businesses of all kinds on King Street are struggling to come back. Not only has the COVID19 virus wreaked havoc with their vibrant tourism-driven livelihood, but their troubles were compounded by the riots that took place in downtown Charleston in May. Many enterprises have not survived, as evidenced by all the dark and boarded up storefronts I passed this weekend. One location that is gamely fighting to revitalize is the Forte Jazz Lounge. The owners showcase talented performers and musicians in a relaxed, laid-back (socially distanced) environment. On Saturday night I enjoyed performances by the talented sister duo, Gracie and Lacy, as well as from the legendary low country artist, Ann Caldwell. Get out and support these local artists when you can. You will be glad you did.

Bay Point Island saved from development – for now

We are blessed to live in a huge country with lots of room for everyone, which makes it all the more distasteful when developers come after fragile but essential natural ecosystems for the purpose of making more money and catering to wealthy people who have plenty of other destinations to enjoy. Bay Point Island, part of St. Helena Island in Beaufort is zoned as a natural preserve, and was a target of just this type of development. Thanks to the passionate pushback from concerned citizens and conservation watchdogs, these development plans been halted, for the moment.

Bay Point Island, St. Helena Island, Beaufort, South Carolina, development, natural preserve, shorebird habitat, loggerhead turtle habitat, gullah-geechee,

“Gullah/Geechees have continued to use Bay Point as a fishing area over the decades.  This area has seen between 5,000 and 8,000 shorebirds land there every winter.  According to the Audubon, “no other area within miles approaches the holding power of this island and inlet to shorebirds in the winter.”  107 loggerhead sea turtle nests were recorded there during 2019.  All of this speaks volumes to how important this 60 acre area is to the quality of life in this area.”

More information on yesterday’s ruling can be found on the Post & Courier website here: https://www.postandcourier.com/business/real_estate/board-denies-controversial-plan-to-put-luxury-ecotourism-resort-on-sc-barrier-island/article_50d8228c-fe74-11ea-9ddf-9f0c9e4d8ed3.html?fbclid=IwAR3pE0f1n5s08i9CB_W4TYcvcpp0miZJwTBJfAtdeHEFiDMcdcmachbfGcI

Trenchard’s Inlet between Pritchard Island and Bay Point Island

Just love Family Portraits!

Studio portraits are great because you can exercise so much more control over the environment, lighting, background, etc. Conversely, outdoor portraits are fun because there is an embedded potential for unpredictability, especially when smaller kids are involved! The weather was kinda blah, and the wind was howling, which made for some interesting hair effects. Some images had to be trashed because of Marilyn Monroe type flying hems, but overall I think we captured the essence of family, which after all is the point of the shoot.